Messages

61

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: The 5D Mark III Fix

« on: May 02, 2012, 04:52:30 PM »

In DxO's lab testing, I think that stuff held up a 20 pound bowling ball for 20 minutes before finally giving up

Suppose DXO finds that Canon's L-tape tape has a light transmission coefficient of 1%, and they give the tape a score of 86%.  Then Nikon invents a piece of piece with a transmission coefficient of 0.95%, and they get a score of 96%.  Imagine the howls...

I was going to buy a 5D mk III but Im wondering now if I should wait because they'll probably release EF Black Tape L USM II soon and I don't fancy the resale value of the MK III's current kit tape: the EF Black Tape L USM I. And I heard a rumor they might release EF Slightly Blacker Tape L USM in June.

Note: USM in this case stands for Ultra Sticky Material

62

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: The 5D Mark III Fix

« on: May 02, 2012, 04:42:18 PM »

I bet Canon Canada fixes them with duct tape, eh?

63

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 03:30:55 PM »

Yes, I forgot all about that. I think the word "four" sounds like the word "death" in Japanese. T4i anyone?

Thats only the monkier in the US, in the rest of the world it'll be the 650D.

I'd argue that using 2 has some negatives aswell given that its makes it clear that its NOT #1.

I guess we're both wrong. I had in my mind that Japan was also using the Rebel moniker but it's actually Kiss. The Rebel T3i is called the Kiss X5 in Japan. interestingly, the T2i WAS in fact called "Kiss X4" in Japan.

64

Lenses / Re: 70-200/70-300

« on: May 02, 2012, 03:14:57 PM »

I have the 70-300 L and I love it except for the zoom and focus ring placement. You get used to it after a while but the focus ring on my copy turns quite freely so it's easy to knock a picture out of focus if you aren't careful. I had lots of OOF shots the first day I got it and was really concerned that the AF was missing 20% of the time! Then I realized that I had been inadvertantly changing focus just by brushing the MF ring, so I changed the way I grip the lens and problem solved. As mentioned, this lens is heavier than the 70-200 f4, but I have tried both and it helps that the 70-300's weight is closer to the camera since it's a shorter lens. If you don't need faster than 5.6, it's an all around great lens with good optical quality, robust build and fast focusing.

65

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 02:56:16 PM »

The arguement I heard in the past was that the number 4 was considered unlucky in Japan, Nikon has just used it I spose but not on a comsumer level camera.

Yes, I forgot all about that. I think the word "four" sounds like the word "death" in Japanese. T4i anyone?

66

Lenses / Re: 24-105mm f/4 L IS on a crop camera

« on: May 02, 2012, 02:53:01 PM »

I can vouch for the optical quality of the 15-85. I am a pixel peeper and this lens is quite sharp even in the corners if you leave it at 5.6 throughout the range (my copy anyway). 15mm makes a big difference from 18mm. Focusing is quick and build quality is good but not stellar. Lens feels solid, focus ring is small but smooth as L and zoom ring feels good but features annoying gravity zooming between 24 and 60mm if you are shooting almost straight up or down.

67

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 02:35:17 PM »

IMHO, it was a mistake of Canon to call the 7D a 7D but then Canon's product numbering scheme for its DSLRs is in a world of hurt because they're fast running out of numbers that fit their prior pattern.

It is a crowded field right now, but sort out the new entry-level FF (6D?), replace the 7D (7D mk II) and 60D (70D) and then I don't think many new models are needed in that crowded little segment. They do, however, need to figure something out with the xxD names. What happens after 90D?

68

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 02:25:17 PM »

Sure, but a 3D would cost more than a 5D3 and less than a 1DX. Are you sure about that?

Yeah, that's true. And 3D just sounds goofy for some reason. I think the only fitting names left are 2D, 4D (maybe for a high MP studio camera) and 6D (maybe for an entry level FF cam). After that all that's left is sticking "x", "s", "n", or some other noodle of of the alphabet soup on the end of a pre-existing model name.

69

Lenses / Re: Patent: Canon 17-40 f/2.8-4L

« on: May 02, 2012, 02:12:52 PM »

I think the 17-40 is a good bang per buck lens, but it's getting old and the optical quality seems to be hit or miss with lots of copy variation. I'm waiting for the MK II, and if it's still constant f4 that's just fine with me. I almost never set my f4-5.6 lenses wider than 5.6 anyway because I just hate having the aperture change as I zoom. And besides, the long end is where you need wider aperture.

70

Lenses / Re: Why buy Canon when third party are this good?

« on: May 02, 2012, 01:49:31 PM »

IMO the 24-105's low resale is strongly linked to the fact that it has been the kit lens of the 5D MK I, MK II and now MK III. Some people no doubt get it as a kit lens because it's a good value and then find that they want the 24-70 or something else...

71

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 01:17:25 PM »

I am suggesting that the 7D and the 5DII continue

The 7DII would sit alonside the 5DIII

If an entry level ff is coming in then it would be a 5DII replacement

Yeah, that makes sense, except in my personal opinion that would be one too many cameras in the lineup, which is why I like the idea of the 7D line staying APS-C and just being remade as the 7D mk II. I wonder what they will call the entry level FF camera though... 6D? 7Ds?

72

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 12:16:48 PM »

Without a aps-h camera there is already a big gap in Canon's lineup. The 7D would continue in the same way as the 5DII so that gap would not happen.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with the idea of a 7D mk II possibly being APS-H. The gap in the lineup I'm describing is the one that would be left if this new APS-H *REPLACED* the 5D mk II, and the MK II stopped being sold. What camera would people then buy if they wanted an affordable FF body?

PS Never seen a BIF taking landscapes with a 1D4 - they have a 5DII as a second body ......

Once again, we are talking about entry-level. Most people in the prosumer segment probably don't want to buy a second camera body for wide-angle.

73

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 11:41:41 AM »

More realistic will be a 7D mk2 with a APS-H sensor and 20-24 MP ( to compete with Nikon budget ff body and preserve the wildlife capabilities and extra reach reputation of the actual 7D).... move a little bit up the new 70D to compete with Nikon d300S replacement.

An APS-H 7D is a nice idea, but the big problem is that it would lack wide-angle coverage (21mm equivalent with a 16-35 and no EF-S). Manufacturing an APS-H body to compete directly with a Nikon FF body would likely lose Canon a lot of market share for this very reason.

Recent 5D mk II customers no doubt include lots of landscape/nature/architecture photographers who want full frame coverage and good IQ at a reasonable price but don't really mind the 5D II's ancient AF system. There's no reason why they would buy a 1.3x crop and lose critically important wide-angle coverage, so the new Nikon FF would be the logical upgrade path for them.

How many sports shooters need more width than 18mm (14mm lens)?

If you are into UWA then ff is the way ahead

I used the example of a 16-35 because the 14mm is a rather specialized and uncommon lens not really targeted at an "entry-level" market. Secondly, sports shooters may not need UWA, but many wildlife shooters also shoot landscape.

Anyway, the discussion was about replacing Canon's current "budget" FF camera (the 5D mk II) with an APS-H camera. This would leave a big gap in Canon's lineup for the reasons outlined in my previous post.

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EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: May 02, 2012, 05:17:03 AM »

More realistic will be a 7D mk2 with a APS-H sensor and 20-24 MP ( to compete with Nikon budget ff body and preserve the wildlife capabilities and extra reach reputation of the actual 7D).... move a little bit up the new 70D to compete with Nikon d300S replacement.

An APS-H 7D is a nice idea, but the big problem is that it would lack wide-angle coverage (21mm equivalent with a 16-35 and no EF-S). Manufacturing an APS-H body to compete directly with a Nikon FF body would likely lose Canon a lot of market share for this very reason.

Recent 5D mk II customers no doubt include lots of landscape/nature/architecture photographers who want full frame coverage and good IQ at a reasonable price but don't really mind the 5D II's ancient AF system. There's no reason why they would buy a 1.3x crop and lose critically important wide-angle coverage, so the new Nikon FF would be the logical upgrade path for them.

75

EOS Bodies / Re: More Full Frame Cameras on the 2012 Horizon? [CR2/CR1]

« on: April 30, 2012, 06:06:50 PM »

Ok, here's something that people often seem to overlook. Despite being somewhat outdated, the 5D mk II still sells well. Canon has simply been operating on the principle of "if it aint broke, don't fix it." When people stop buying the mk II, Canon will replace it, most likely with an affordable entry-level body.

Now here's my vision of an entry level FF camera (6D, shall we say?) Put an 18 megapixel FF sensor and pentaprism in a 7D body with slightly updated (read: more consistently accurate) 19-point autofocus and a single Digic V. Maybe give it 5 fps to avoid canibalization of both 5D mkIII and 7D sales. Given that the 5D II with a 21.1mp sensor sells for about $2200, I see no reason why this new body with less MP couldn't sell for the same or slightly less, again still allowing the faster, $500 cheaper 7D (or 7D mk II) to retain it's "poor man's 1D" niche in the EOS ecosystem.